Maya drove quietly through the familiar streets, her hands steady on the wheel but her heart unsteady beneath her ribs. Anika sat beside her, humming softly to a tune only she knew, her little fingers clutching a small toy. Behind them, in another car, two of the Denovan maids followed. They were coming to help, though Maya already knew this would be more of an emotional task than a physical one.

Her old apartment building appeared at the end of the road, a place she had once thought of as safe but now felt like a cage she was finally unlocking. Parking the car, Maya stepped out and inhaled deeply....